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Paragraphs on National Integration

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National Integration is a process by which divisive people and culture are synthesized into a unified whole, along with higher levels of cooperation, mutual understanding, shared values, common identity and above all national consciousness. As a process, it holds tightly together the various relationships of ethnic groups and institutions in a dove- tailed manner through the bonds of contrived structures, norms and values. It has also been described as a “Psychological and educational process……… involving the development of a common feeling of unity, solidarity, and cohesion, in the hearts of people, a sense of common citizenships, and a feeling of loyalty to the nation.”

Defining national integration Benjamin says that it is the “assimilation of the entire people of a country to a common identity.” The concept of national integration includes two processes that is, the process of nation building and state building. Nation building involves doing away with the cattiest, linguistic and regional lines on the one hand and psychological sense of unity on the other.

State building refers to territorial integrity which implies the absence of separatist forces within the territorial boundaries where the administration of central and state government runs In fact, both the processes are inter-related and mutually influenced, and any attempt to study them separately will be misleading. Thus, national integration may be conceived as a process wherein a feeling of togetherness, a sense of unity and above all the sense of belongingness are developed.

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Therefore national integration may be viewed as follows.

(1) In the process of national integration, people of a nation develop the sense of awe feeling, and are unified.

(2) The concept of national loyalty supersedes all other types of affiliation and becomes the prime objective.

(3) It does away with divisive forces and disintegrating tendencies.

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(4) It covers the entire gamut of political, social, cultural, and emotional aspects and their integration.

(5) The broader objective of national integration has been the attainment of ideological goals such as secularism and democracy.

Even though most of the developing countries are confronted with some such problems in one way or other, it will not be an exaggeration to designate today’s India as a violent society in the developing world. The sub-continent of India, along with her high density of population, also has geographical and natural divisions comprising of people of different races, languages, castes, sub- castes, sects and sub-sects. Among them, communalism, casteism, linguism and regionalism appear to be the most crucial in hindering national integration.